About SAFE

The Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE ("Sustainable Architecture for Finance in Europe") is dedicated to interdisciplinary research on financial markets and their participants in Europe as well as to research-based, independent policy advice. The institute focuses on the cooperation of researchers from the fields of finance, economics, law, and political science.

A new concept for professional policy advice focused on Berlin, Brussels, and Wiesbaden is the Center’s second pillar. Based on independent academic research, the SAFE Policy Center maintains a permanent dialogue with members of governments and parliaments about topical questions on financial markets. Its aim is to develop answers towards a better regulatory framework.

SAFE was founded in 2013 as a cooperation between Goethe University Frankfurt and the Center for Financial Studies (CFS). Since January 2020, SAFE has been working as a legally independent institute and is a member of the Leibniz Association. The institute contributes to the strengthening of a sustainable and crisis-proof financial system that promotes innovation and serves the individual needs of business and citizens. 

SAFE is strongly networked with other research facilities and institutions internationally. The institute's research focuses on five thematic areas: Financial Intermediation, Law & Finance, Financial Markets, Household Finance, and Macro Finance. SAFE strives for excellent research and combines this with the goal to carry academic results into politics, administration, and society, both at national and European levels. In addition, SAFE works on the development and provision of infrastructure in the field of European economic and financial data, which should enable better empirical analyses.

Mission Statement

The Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE (Sustainable Architecture for Finance in Europe) is committed to contributing to the strengthening of a sustainable and resilient financial system that promotes innovation and serves the needs of the economy and the society.

Our objectives: high-quality research and, on this basis, support for the European monetary and financial policymaking by addressing current economic and societal challenges.

Our subject: the structure and functioning of the financial system from an economics and law perspective, related to the question about the impact of economic policy measures.

Our values: research excellence, diversity of perspectives, independence.